Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Wampire

[PSYCH FUNK] As guitar gods go, Unknown Mortal Orchestra's Ruban Nielson is pretty low-key. It's only in concert that one realizes the extent of the New Zealand-bred frontman's labyrinthine licks, and even then, he employs such precious little guitar-face that one must watch his fingers to appreciate the intricacy of his leads on songs like "Jello and Juggernauts" and "The Opposite of Afternoon." UMO's sophomore effort, II, makes more obvious use of Nielson's hands than did its predecessor, but it's his singing and songwriting that feel fully evolved. The funky, cut-and-paste sound experiments of UMO's debut have been replaced by seven-minute stoner jams and tricky pop songs that could almost pass as latter-day Beatles B-sides. The live band has evolved even more than the one captured on record, with badass drummer Riley Geare (frontman for Portland's Tomorrow People) joining bassist Jacob Portrait and Nielson onstage.